I'm Full!

Wow, I'm full! I had a salmon patty, pierogies, and an apple for dinner. I got a taste for salmon in Spokane yesterday so I bought frozen salmon patties. I plugged the calories and grams of fat into the point calculator and they are only 3 points per patty. I've had all the veggies I need for the day with lunch and a snack, so I don't feel bad for not putting any on my plate.

One of the biggest differences I've noticed from watching my diet as opposed to not is condiments and flavorings. Butter, cheese, sour cream, cooking with oil/frying, and dressings. So far, I have chosen foods that don't need fattening toppings. One little trick that I have been using for years now is that if a recipe calls for butter as a flavoring, I use butter flavored cooking spray. Sounds a little gross, but it's actually really good. It's also good for making crispy grilled cheese sandwiches without all the butter fat.

I ended up getting put on-call today at work, so I didn't have to even think about what to bring for lunch. I ended up doing a few great things for myself- I joined Gold's Gym, then I went to the health food store. I went in to use my 7-day pass, and after I got 30 minutes of cardio and weights in, I talked to the membership guy about how I was going to be added to my friend's plan but she is out of town for a while, and I would have to pay a year up front. I also told him that I just finished my bachelor's but I was returning in January for nursing school, so I got the student deal. I feel good about the decision to join. I didn't feel pressured at all, and the nice membership guy even waived my enrollment fee. Between WW and Gold's, I'll be paying about $50 a month to get healthy- and I'm 100% okay with that!

It's only been three days since I joined WW, but I feel like the choices I'm making now are going to turn into a healthy lifestyle, with work of course. I'm sure at some point I'm going to get tired of it, but that's why encouragement and accountability will work wonders. I love how a handful of my friends are working on losing weight at the same time as me, because I know who to call when I need help. As much as I have a love/hate relationship with my friends that are naturally slim, I can learn from them. What their bodies look like is not simply a product of genetics or a fast metabolism, but also their eating habits. I read a book a while back about the eating habits of naturally slim people. It's amazing how differently they perceive food, activity, and their body's cues for hunger. Sometimes I'll feel hungry, but I don't feel like eating- that should be a cue for me to drink water. One of the little trackers on the WW website tracks how much water I've had in the day. It's very convenient.

It feels like it's been a long day but I haven't done all that much. I got some good me-time in today with a book that J got me for my birthday. (If you're reading this, you should know that the 2nd part is really good and that I love how one gift can last so long!) It's late now and I'm ready to conk out. Bring it on, Tuesday!